Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Oprah Winfrey Network reality show, Blackboard Wars, filmed at John McDonogh Hi School in New Orleans this school year reveals some rather shocking details about how charter schools operate in Louisiana.

State Board president, Chas Roemer has often bragged that charter operators have the freedom to operate their schools without the usual bothersome red tape required of traditional schools. But we were always told that charters must comply with basic accountability and school reporting rules. Apparently they are exempt from much more than we were led to believe.

John White and his Recovery School District administrators are always quite anxious to attract “quality” charter school operators to take over any low performing school that has been designated as 'failing" by the state accountability system. This low achieving category includes all of the direct run RSD (Recovery School District) schools. So John White and Patrick Dobard (Superintendent of RSD) were just thrilled when Steve Barr who runs the highly touted Green Dot charter system in Los Angeles agreed to take over John McDonogh High School in New Orleans. (Note: I have just been informed that Steve Barr is no longer affiliated with Green Dot.)

Also, he has no education credentials.
Steve Barr was basically given free rein to do anything he wanted that may turn around John McDonogh. I'm sure Chas Roemer must have been ecstatic because he has recently advocated shutting down most of the DOE in favor of a system that lets anyone run a public school by any rules they choose as long as they can produce passing results on the accountability system. But meanwhile all the traditional public schools continue to be held to such mundane rules as strict student attendance reporting, reporting dropouts, complex discipline rules that require hearings before student suspensions (even for criminals), and student expulsion rules so strict that most educators agree that regular public school students can no longer be expelled no matter what they do. One principal told me that in the EBR school system, the special master appointed by the DOE to rule over school discipline even requires hearings before extremely disruptive or dangerous students are transferred to the alternative school.

Steve Barr, the savior of John McDonogh, was welcomed to New Orleans with much fanfare by the LDOE but not so much by the local citizens and parents of the John McDonogh community. Barr got off on the wrong foot by being quoted in NOLA dot com describing problems with poor student performance by saying, “This is what seven generations of crap looks like.”

To further demonstrate his arrogance, Barr approved a contract with the OWN network to produce a reality series on the turnaround effort at John McDonogh this year. He did not bother to inform his own Board of Directors of the deal and no one knows where the money paid by OWN to broadcast the reality show goes. Needless to say Barr has had a few contentious meetings with his own hand picked Board of Directors for the John McDonogh charter.

The reality series titled Blackboard Wars has been broadcast on the OWN network for about six weeks on Saturday nights and has revealed a lot of very unorthodox practices tolerated by our DOE at charter schools. None of these practices would be allowed by the LDOE in traditional public schools which are managed by a locally “elected” rather than appointed school boards.

The series started off by concentrating on the trials and tribulations of one of the young TFA teachers with the usual 5 week training/indoctrination course: “TFA will show you how to save these inner city children who have been so neglected by traditional teachers because you are so brilliant and you care so much more about children than they do.”

It turns out this young person had no understanding about the lifestyle of a poverty stricken inner city kid and also had no clue about how to teach Geometry to these kids. She got hit in the face while trying to break up a fight, could not even get any of the students to stop talking while she tried to lecture, and kept breaking down and crying in each of the episodes.

Secret #1: Charters save a lot of money on teaching staff by hiring a core of these compliant low pay teachers who can easily be replaced by a new batch of fresh recruits paid partially by large grants from rich charitable organizations like the Gates foundation and by LDOE grants. (Our tax dollars)

Dr Marvin Thompson, the principal for John McDonogh brought in by Steve Barr is depicted in the OWN series as a top notch education professional but nothing is said about whether he possesses the basic certification requirements for a Louisiana school principal.

Secret #2: Charter schools regularly ignore certification requirements for their administrators because Louisiana can "trust" the charter operators to bring in great talent from all over the country and pay them top salaries without regard to “paper” qualifications. Look at how we got John White.
In a recent episode of Blackboard Wars Dr Thompson threw out a student who had been involved in a shootout off campus because he may become the target of retaliation which could be a danger to the other students at McDonogh.

Secret #3: Charter schools seldom suspend or expel troublesome students. They just “counsel them out”. This keeps their official records clean while getting rid of discipline problems and low performers. In contrast, traditional public schools are encouraged by the DOE to keep all students and to even accept rejects from the charters. Last year, a convicted rapist was assigned to a Baton Rouge high school, yet neither the principal nor the guidance counselor were notified of his rap sheet. Later in the year he raped a young student on campus. Only then when the news media publicized the rape and blamed the administration for a lack of security at the school did the principal learn that the offender had been previously convicted for rape. At the end of the year the principal resigned.

In a public school in Lafayette last week, a student teacher was thrown out of his practice teaching position because he attended a school board meeting and repeated some of the bad language being directed at teachers by students.

Another teacher in St. Landry was hit in the face by a student last week with minimal consequences for the student.

But Dr Thompson held an assembly program with faculty and students at John McDonogh and informed them that he had thrown out all the trouble makers so now they could expect a better school environment. We can only wonder how many of these were official expulsions and how many were just “counseled out”.

The most recent episode of Blackboard Wars featured a raucous community meeting held by Steve Bar and Dr Thompson to report on the progress of the school. Dr Thompson proudly announced to parents and community members that the school had improved student attendance from about 35% the previous year to approximately 80% this school year. But according to school statistics accessed on the DOE web site before White purged all the data links, none of the schools in the RSD have had attendance rates below 80% in recent years.

Secret #4. Just report anything to the public that makes it look like charters have made dramatic progress compared to the dismal past.

Two years ago, the DOE reported to the Legislature that the RSD had reduced its high school dropout rate to only 5% per year. This would have translated into approximately an 80% graduation rate, yet the real data showed that more than half the students starting the 9th grade had disappeared by their senior year. Back at McDonogh, Barr's community meeting ended in chaos with community members calling for Barr to go back to California. Here's just one more secret. Also in the last episode, OWN filmed an interview by Dr Thompson with a 20 year old young man who wanted to re enroll at McDonogh. In the conversation, the young man emphasized that he wanted to get a high school diploma because his father and most of his relatives had not gotten that far. But then he tells Dr Thompson: “That GED (program) is hard, so I came here.” Dr Thompson responds: “Well, we have a credit recovery program here and we can help you get that diploma.”

Secret #5: Credit recovery can be manipulated to give students credits toward graduation that they do not really have to earn. In credit recovery a student is supposed to get extra instruction to allow him to pass a required course that he previously failed. But one of the TFAers who transferred to another parish said that when RSD teachers warn a student that he is failing a course he often laughs and informs the teacher that the school administration will still give him credit for the course using credit recovery. Also, at a recent community meeting in New Orleans, one of the parents approached BESE member Lottie Beebie and confessed that her child had received credit for courses she had not ever taken!

Observation: A common gimmick used by most of the charters is to sell pie in the sky to the community and news media. Plastered on the walls at John McDonogh are slogans like: WHAT COLLEGE WILL YOU ATTEND (I noticed that the large question mark was missing from the end of the slogan but none of the students or producers of Blackboard Wars seemed to notice) This is an empty promise because the great majority of the students there will not in any way be prepared for college. These schools never seem to teach their students that most adults have to work at real jobs to earn a living. Most of the courses at this school do not relate to the real world nor prepare students for real world jobs. These kids are facing a dead end when they get their fake diplomas. But of course this fake college prep for all is being pushed by the top administrators in our LDOE.
Chas Roemer, the new BESE president, believes that BESE can do away with most of the rules governing our public schools. Just let them do whatever it takes to get students to graduate college and career ready.

If you cut out the last 4 words of that statement you will have a good description how the RSD charters are getting the job done.

"Hey bros, check who passed out on the couch," the guy in the video
begins, staring into the camera, as a seemingly unconscious girl is
sprawled out on the sofa behind him. "Guess what I'm going to do to
her."

Probably not what you might think.
The "bro" in question proceeds to give the girl a pillow, a blanket
and a glass of water before turning back to the camera. "Real men treat
women with respect," he says.

A mere 26 seconds, University of Oregon student Samantha Stendal's video, titled "A Needed Response,"
is as short and pithy as they come. Directed toward "the Steubenville
rapists...or any rapists out there," the video's point may seem obvious,
but the message could do with some reinforcement in the wake of the
Steubenville rape trial.

Since being uploaded to YouTube last week, Stendal's video has been viewed more than one million times.

"The message I hope that people can get from this video is that we need to treat one another with respect," Stendal told KVAL News, in Eugene, Ore. "No matter what gender, we should be listening to each other and making sure there is consent."

Erich Martel of D.C. posted the documents from the Atlanta investigation.

“These are the four Atlanta Public School (APS) Investigation Report documents:

There are some unexpected surprises. Supt. Hall hired two “experts” to
do a review of a few schools in response to concerns. One is a
well-known consultant, author of “Unpacking the Standards.” His report
was very approving (he visited 8 schools in one day, during his 3-day
stay). Supt Hall posted it on the APS website.

The other, critical
report she “lost,” claiming that she never received it. Go to p. 311 of
the “Exhibits to Report.”

Friday, March 29, 2013

If not, low-performing schools face takeover

Jefferson County Public Schools must better train its principals and
remove union obstructions at its lowest-performing schools — part of a
host of changes the district has to make to avoid a state takeover of
those schools’ turnaround efforts.

The
directives were outlined in a six-page letter written by Kentucky
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday to JCPS Superintendent Donna
Hargens and school board Chairwoman Diane Porter and discussed during a
90-minute private meeting Tuesday morning with David Karem, chairman
of the Kentucky Board of Education, and other officials.

Hargens promised after the meeting the district “will address any specifics that are in the letter.”

“These
are schools that have some challenges, and we are working through those
and we have principals and staffs in place who are working hard,” she
said. “This is really about the alignment of our efforts.”The
letter detailed ongoing problems that frustrated state education
officials say have undermined turnaround efforts at 16 of the 18 JCPS
schools that have been forced to undergo overhauls for chronically low
student achievement.That
frustration bubbled over in recent weeks when Holliday called the lack
of improvement at the those schools “academic genocide.”In
his letter, which The Courier-Journal obtained, Holliday reiterated
“the urgency and need for turnaround efforts to ensure that all students
in Jefferson County are provided an equal and adequate education under a
system of efficient schools, as required by the state constitution.”Holliday
noted that the district has made improvements, including increased
collaboration with state officials and higher graduation rates at some
troubled schools.And
he acknowledged that the state shares some of the blame for failing to
consistently monitor those schools or demand consistent expectations.But
he made it clear that the district must make changes if it wants to
maintain control of turnaround efforts at its schools. And he threatened
to withhold millions of dollars in federal grants earmarked for several
schools if they failed to follow through with their turnaround plans.

You should have seen the University Journal Editorial Board
meeting Wednesday night. We talked about how you might be leaving SUU
and realized how lucky SUU is to have you. For once, people were
interrupting each other with positive comments instead of heated
arguments.

You have a way of making every student feel valued and important,
which is the way a university should be run. An effective learning
community cannot exist if its leaders are domineering and condescending.

When Juniper Hall’s residents had to move out mid-semester, you were
there helping them move. You go to nearly every SUU athletic
competition, cheering in the stands along with the rest of us. You've
even been known to go to athletic events which are hosted at other
universities. You played the piano at the Pancake Study Break in
December 2012. Every year, you welcome the entire freshman class to your
home and greet each student who walks through your door. Thank you for
being a T-Bird and being involved on campus.

Your charisma is something we wish we could use to help recruit new
students. If we used that Harlem Shake video and a few other evidences
of your involvement and charisma (not to mention that letter you sent
out to everyone, asking for ideas for the budget!), the student
population of SUU might just double. That is, if we could convince
everyone seeing them that it’s for real, because they might think it’s
all staged and too good to be true.

From a newspaper staff’s standpoint, we know we aren’t likely to find
any other university president whose caliber approaches yours. You
always get back to us when we are looking for information or an
interview. You have an open-door policy — and people take you up on it,
because you are so approachable. We’ve had to send you emails in the wee
hours of the morning and are always amazed when we get a prompt
response.

We want to wish you luck with your candidacy at Eastern Kentucky
University. Becoming the university president there would be a great
step in your career. At the same time, we think SUU is blessed to have
you here, and we know it isn’t likely that we will find someone of your
caliber again anytime soon.

No matter what happens, Pres. Benson, we are behind you 100 percent. Thank you for being so great at what you do for us.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The following is the result of our research on EKU Presidential finalist Alan T. Shao. All of the material contained herein is cited or linked to the original source for those who may wish to dig a bit deeper. Of the three finalists, Shao is the scholar, having risen through the ranks by the production of scholarly pieces, some of which are captured at the end of this material.

To repeat, it is our hope that readers will gain a sense of the candidate, his career path, ideas, skills, vision, and ability to communicate as a scholar and as a university leader. What issues did the candidate face during his career and how did he respond to them? How do his responses match EKU sensibilities?

We encourage readers on the EKU campus to look over the material as background, and then go meet the candidate and decide for yourself if we have found the right fit for EKU.

The data is generally present in chronological order, except that we are leading with two recent videos featuring Shao. Otherwise, articles in the public domain are presented beginning in 1994. Scroll down for more recent stuff. Following that material, we touch on Shao at LinkedIn, and his Twitter feed before presenting some selected research (This was not an exhaustive search to confirm everything on his vitae or to pass on its quality). We ended up with 42 pages of material, edited down.

The public record on Shao presents a very good Dean and recognized teacher. Our first (and second-hand) sources at Charleston (some of whom are former EKU folks) indicate that Shao is well-respected and runs an effective, energetic college. He is described as very impressive, thoughtful, accessible, visionary and efficient. He has brought funds to the college, and is respected in the community. One source says it was her impression that he "helps get his faculty the resources they need and then gets out of their way to let them do their jobs." High praise, indeed.

Shao earned his Ph. D. in Marketing at the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa and knows how to yell, "Roll Tide!"

To meet the growing demands of Charlotte companies
with global customers, UNC Charlotte's business school plans to start the
Center for International Business this summer.

``We're trying to get the Belk College of
Business (Administration) closely linked to the international business
community,'' saidAlan Shao,
associate professor of marketing and the proposed director of the center.
``Many times area businesses in Charlotte don't know whether international
opportunities exist for them. The center would be involved in helping those
businesses reach their full potential.''

The Center for International Business would
serve as the point of contact for any new or established company, organization
or association seeking information and assistance on international business.…

Some of the center's objectives are to
establish guest lectures from international business managers, student visits
to company offices and seminars on global issues. The center also could
increase student internship opportunities, including at companies abroad.

Shao said the center will work closely with the
U.S. Export Assistance Center, the chamber and the Charlotte World Trade Center
Association to avoid duplicating services.

UNCC LOSING
BUSINESS DEAN

Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Thursday, April 9, 1998

Author: LESLIE WILLIAMS JOHNSON, Staff Writer

Edward Mazze is stepping down from his
post as dean of UNC Charlotte's Belk College of Business Administration to
write books, do research, teach and mentor students.…

Alan Shao, the school's director of international
studies, said the reaction to the news was split between a few faculty who
thought ``it just fell out of the sky'' and others, such as himself, who knew
Mazze had other things he wanted to pursue.

``I just think the average span for a dean is
five to six years, so he's right on target. I think he needs time to expand his
wings,'' Shao said. ``I have such tremendous respect for him.'' …

CONFERENCE TEACHES
STUDENTS BUSINESS WORLD IS SHRINKING

Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Tuesday, February 23, 1999

Author: AUDREY Y. WILLIAMS, Staff Writer

There was a common theme at a Monday
conference where 300 college students gathered to learn more about
international business careers: Nearly every job has a link to the
international marketplace.…

``It's not enough to just get an
education. Experience counts in finding a job,'' saidAlan Shao, coordinator of UNCC's international
business program.…

N CHINA, BANKS KNOW
LITTLE ABOUT CUSTOMERS

Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Monday, March 27, 2000

Author: AMBER VEVERKA, Staff Writer

Customer privacy is a hot banking issue
in the United States, but apparently not nearly as hot as elsewhere.

Alan Shao, UNC
Charlotte associate professor of marketing and coordinator of the International
Business Program, was in southern China during the past couple of weeks to
speak on and study differences in U.S. and Chinese market research.

And there are quite a few differences. Shao
presented a marketing seminar to China Merchants Bank, one of the country's
largest financial institutions. What he learned, Shao said, was that Chinese
banks don't know much about their customers.

"It's very, very difficult to do any
successful marketing research of their customers because many of their
customers don't like to give out personal information," said Shao. "I
said, `Look, why don't you simply get the branches to have a survey there so
when people come in ... they can fill out a demographic survey and you can have
a better profile of your customers." …

UNC Charlotte psychology professor
Lawrence Calhoun has taught at the school for 32 years and has co-authored
nearly 80 research articles and six books.

Friday, he took home one award. It's the
university's most prestigious teaching honor - the Bank of America Award for
Teaching Excellence.…

The runners-up were: David Amante,
associate professor of English; Lienne Edwards, associate professor of family
and community nursing; Harold Jaus, professor of education; andAlan Shao, professor of marketing. The four
finalists each received a framed citation, $250 for library purchases and a
$2,000 cash award.

The Carolina Panthers should suffer
little long-term public-relations damage if a brewing steroid scandal doesn't
bubble beyond a few players acting on their own, experts said Wednesday.

"If it's more widespread, then it can
become more of a problem," saidAlan Shao,
professor of marketing and international business at UNC Charlotte.

The team is well regarded in a league that is
known for its strong fan base and its efforts to thwart steroid use, experts
said. But allegations against current and former Panthers players come only
weeks after highly publicized congressional hearings over the use of
performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball.…

The Panthers built tremendous goodwill by
bringing the NFL to Charlotte and by making an appearance in the Super Bowl,
said Shao, the UNC Charlotte professor. The team also was a steady presence
when the city's National Basketball Association franchise, the Charlotte
Hornets, fled town a couple of years ago, he said.

"I think the Panthers have so much positive
clout in the community," he said. He also noted that the allegations
haven't touched the team's key stars.…

OKAFOR'S NOT
WORRYING, NOW WHY SHOULD YOU?

Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, May 29, 2005

Author: JEFF ELDER, Staff Writer…

UNCC meets Far East

Alan Shaoof UNCC's
Belk College of Business just returned from Taiwan where he was hooking up with
business schools at universities there.

UNCC will set up an executive MBA program based
in Taiwan, with 35 students in the first year next fall.

"The demand is there and the numbers are
growing dramatically," said Shao, of Belk's international business
programs. "So we're going to them, instead of asking them to come to
us."

Funny: Shao jogged around the Presidential
Palace in Taipei and noticed something interesting about all the cars used for
VIPs.

There in the Far East, every single one was
American.…

THE INSIDER

Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Sunday, October 2, 2005

Author: JEFF ELDER, Staff Writer…

Shanghai surprise

Alan Shao's
been in Shanghai. The associate dean for International Programs in the Belk
College of Business at UNC Charlotte was in China last week, along with UNC
System President Molly Broad and a few chancellors, provosts, deans and chairs.
They were buddying up with Fudan University, one of the top universities in
China.

At one point Shao strolled through the Shanghai
Museum with Terry Rodenberg of East Carolina University. The two walked for
about two hours, then took a seat in a pleasant room in the basement.

Everyone else was staring at the two men, but
they shrugged it off as being conspicuous foreigners.

"It wasn't until that evening that we
learned that the room where we were resting our tired legs was reserved for
young engaged couples," Shao says. "The Belk College at UNC Charlotte
wants to establish closer ties with our sister state universities, but marriage
is strictly out of the question. I'm sure that our wives wouldn't like it,
either."

Educator's greatest
pride is his family's successes

Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Sunday,
March 19, 2006

Author: STACI DENNIS

Even though Stephen Shao has a building
honoring his name in China, more than 30 published books known across the world
and has traveled the globe several times, his most valued accomplishment lies
in his children.

"I think I can look back and say I did a
good job with my kids," the Lake Shores resident said. "I have passed
on many important lessons including that life is not about making money for
yourself, but using what you have learned to help the world around you."

Shao, 81, helped the world around him by
starting with his own family. All eight of his children graduated from college.
And all eight at some point in their education attended ODU.

Stephen Shao Jr., 51, went on to receive
his doctorate from the University of Maryland and is the director of the
business bureau at Tennessee State University. He has two sons who attend
Vanderbilt University and a daughter still in high school.

The second son, Dale Shao, 49, got his doctorate
from Georgia State University and is a professor at Marshal University in West
Virginia.

The third born, Lawrence Shao, 48, received his
Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee and is the division head of the finance
and economic department.

Alan Shao, 46,
the fourth born, earned his doctorate from Alabama State University and is a
professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. …

Shao taught at ODU for 34 years, offering
business, finance and management courses. He was the university's first Chinese
professor.

He immigrated to the United States in 1948 and
attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He went on to get his Ph.D. from the
University of Texas.

For all his accomplishments, his hometown of
Yixing, China, near Shanghai, constructed a library there in his honor. Also,
one of his recent books, "Memories in Two Nations: China and the
U.S.A." was translated into Chinese.

"I tried to do a good job with my
life," he said. "I am proud of everything I did, but I am even more
proud of my children."

TAIWANESE STUDENTS
VISIT FOR GRADUATION - GROUP AMONG 1ST TO FINISH EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM IN
TAIPEI

Charlotte Observer,
The (NC) - Saturday, December 16, 2006

Author: APRIL
BETHEA, ABETHEA@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM

Sitting in UNC Charlotte's commencement
ceremonies today are 11 students who flew more than 15 hours across 8,000-plus
miles to turn their tassels with fellow classmates.

The group is among the first graduates of an
executive MBA program that UNCC's Belk College of Business offers in Taipei,
Taiwan. …

Attending the Charlotte ceremonies wasn't
mandatory. The Belk College will hold an event for the entire 30-member MBA
class early next year in Taipei.

But the students' decision to travel overseas
didn't surprise professorAlan Shao,
the Belk College's associate dean for international programs. The MBA program
is run by Belk College faculty who frequently talked about the banking centers
in the city.

"I knew that they were very interested to
see Charlotte," Shao said.

The students also were curious about the
university, which they said has a reputation as being one of the nation's best
financial schools.…

UNCC NEWS BRIEFS

Charlotte Observer,
The (NC) - Sunday, October 21, 2007

Author: Observer
Staff…

Shao named to new position

Alan Shaowas
recently named associate dean for professional graduate and global business
programs in the Belk College of Business. He has served as associate dean for
international programs since 2005.

In addition to developing and directing the Belk
College's academic programs in Europe, Latin America and Asia, Shao will
oversee administration of the MBA, sports MBA and master of accountancy
programs in Charlotte.

"Alan's vast experience in marketing will
be invaluable as we develop a strong collective brand identity for our
professional graduate programs," Steven Ott, interim dean of the Belk
College, said in a statement.

State of N.C. is
losing jobs to China

Mecklenburg Times,
The (Charlotte, NC) - Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Author: Carolyn
Steeves

Since 2001, North Carolina has said
goodbye to almost 80,000 jobs as they were shipped to China, according to a
recent study.

While this fact won't come as a surprise to
anyone who has followed the woes of the U.S. textile industry, which was a
dominant employer in North Carolina before many jobs were lost to overseas
competitors, at least one business leader thinks the region is better off as a
result.

Because of the nature of the jobs in
question, the area may actually be more prosperous with those positions going
to China, Tony Crumbley told The
Mecklenburg Times. …

If the job losses won't be missed, that's
probably fortunate, because, according toAlan Shao, a professor of marketing and global
business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, those jobs won't be
coming back.

"This is a trend that has obviously been
going on for a while," Shao told The Times. "The Chinese have been
taking jobs since the mid-'80s on a pretty heavy basis."

Shao is not optimistic for the future of these
types of jobs in the area, saying there is "no end in sight."

"If we don't become more efficient as far
as our operations are concerned, we're going to lose more jobs," he said.

Like so many other real estate ventures in this strained market, the
College of Charleston Home Value Index is dead.

The deeply complex research model analyzing 60 characteristics in
recently sold homes was introduced as another way to see how Low country home
prices were faring in the depressed real estate market. …

Tim Allen, the Carter Real Estate
Center's head who oversaw the project, has stopped putting out his
month-over-month value estimates, the college said.

"Because of the reduction in state support,
we have to prioritize more tightly now," said Alan Shao, dean of the College of Charleston's School
of Business and Economics.

"That's one of the things we couldn't
afford to continue doing."

But wait: Wasn't the home value model first
pitched as a moneymaker for the college?

Weren't local developers going to be able to buy
information that the model produced, including popular home features and
predictions for future pricing trends?

"It never got to that point," Shao
said. "We've restructured the Carter Center to concentrate much more on
commercial than residential."

Post and Courier, The (Charleston, SC) - Tuesday,
March 9, 2010

Author: Staff reports

C of C to get up to
$1M donation

A South Carolina entrepreneur now living in Vietnam will donate up to $1
million over the next two years to the College of Charleston for programs in
its business school.

Jack Tate, who founded Carolina Baby Superstores, a retail chain he sold
to Toys R Us in 2002, is making the donation to help pay for the school's new
master of business administration, which is currently in the final approval
stages with the state's Commission on Higher Education, and a new program to
promote cultural and business understanding between the United States and
Vietnam, said Alan Shao, dean of the college's business school.

Tate donated $250,000 this year and will donate another $250,000 in 2011,
Shao said. He will contribute an additional $500,000 if the college can match
it with cash or in-kind contributions, he said.

The college will use some of the money to launch the Center of Vietnamese
Enterprise in the fall, Shao said.

The program will bring Vietnamese students to the college to study
language and culture. It also will send College of Charleston undergraduates to
Vietnam to study language, culture and business, he said.

That's important because Vietnam has become a thriving manufacturing
center, and in some areas, a competitor to China, he said.

Valerie
Morris introduced Dr. Alan Shao, Dean of the Business School of the College of
Charleston. Dr. Shao indicated that, prior to taking the position of Dean of
the Business School of the College of Charleston, he taught

at
the U. of Alabama and was Dean of the Business School at the U. of North
Carolina for 19 years. He said that he has traveled to China more than a
hundred times, often as a business consultant to many major companies who do
business with the Chinese. In 2005 he was listed in the Journal of Advertising
as one of the most influential leaders in the country. Shao stated that his
mother is from South Carolina though his ancestry in China.

Dr.
Shao said that the number one challenge in higher education today is
competition from for-profit schools. From 1988 – 1998, growth in for-profit
schools grew by 319%. From 1998 – 2008, growth in for-profit schools grew by
664%. An example he cited was that the U. of Phoenix currently has 455,000
students on the rolls. For-profit institutions have grown at a rate of 9% per
year over the past 10 years.

He
said that the reason for this is that these schools are: 1) Student focused; 2)
Convenient within a community;

3)
Make up 7% of all college enrollments.

In
South Carolina, Dr. Shao said that there is a minimal support for state run
schools – 10%; and maximum control of the C of C by the state – 100%. Only $424
million is offered in financial support to all schools in the entire state.
Whereas, $458 million is given by the state of Georgia to the U. of Georgia
alone.

Dr.
Shao then showed an excellent video highlighting qualities of the C of C
Business School. He boasted that only 5% of the business schools in the entire
United States have as high of a certification as the C of C. Currently he is
celebrating his first full year as Dean of the business school. He said that a
current and ongoing goal is that of globalization. He wants to strongly market
the school outside of the United States.

Dr.
Shao then outlined five goals that he has for the business school. They are:

Step
1: Globalization (they are currently working closely with China).

Step
2: Increasing graduate programs.

Step
3: Increase community partnerships.

Step
4: Train students to “think differently.”

Step
5: Increase online education opportunities.

These
steps are a snapshot of where he sees the future of the business school
heading. He added that they are also attempting to become less dependent on
state support and provide a more student-oriented educational experience. When
asked about how much money the business school wanted from the state, he
responded by saying that he wanted the school to become 100% independent from
state resources and that to do that he will be generating funds from private
sources. He wants to reduce dependence on the state and become self-supportive.

College of
Charleston School of Business receives $1 million commitment

Mar. 11, 2010

Swamp Fox

The College of
Charleston has signed an agreement with Jack Tate, a South Carolina
entrepreneur who founded Carolina Baby Superstores, through which Tate will
donate up to $1 million to the College Foundation over the next two years.

The College will match Tate’s financial gift in-kind and cash to help fund two
key initiatives in the School of Business. The money is designated for two
separate initiatives: the new Center of Vietnamese Enterprise and the pending
M.B.A. or other academic programs.

“Jack Tate’s generous gift will allow the School of Business to launch a
full-time M.B.A. program for Charleston that will prepare students for careers
in our global economy,” says George Benson, president of the College of
Charleston. “This gift will also help the College establish academic and
economic relationships between South Carolina and Vietnam. Both of these
initiatives align with the College’s new Strategic Plan, which seeks to
establish greater connections between our academic programs and the world around
us.”

C of C readies its
fast-track MBA - Students able to finish in 13 months

Post and Courier,
The (Charleston, SC) - Monday, May 10, 2010

Author: DIANE
KNICH, The Post and Courier

The College of Charleston now offers a fast-track master's of business
administration degree, a move that allows the school to play in the big
leagues, President George Benson says.

The state's Commission on Higher Education gave the program final approval last
week, and the first group of about 35 students will begin in July. Students can
focus on either finance or marketing.

Alan Shao, dean of the college's School of Business, said the program will
offer classes during the day. And students can finish in 13 months, which
includes a summer "boot camp" where they learn or brush up on basic
business skills.

Students go through the program as a group, he said, and they all will be
required to participate in a three-week work-abroad experience….

Benson said a full-time, day-time program was something the college was
missing. "Now we're whole," he said.

With its brisk pace and international component, the program is the kind that
will draw qualified students to Charleston, Benson said.

Shao said he's discussed the program with university leaders in parts of Europe
and Asia, and they have expressed interest in sending students to the college.
"It will be a very diverse program," he said.

Shao said he can't yet announce how much the program will cost students. There
will be a special pricing structure because it is an accelerated program, he
said, and the amount must be approved by the college's Board of Trustees.

But the program will be self-supporting and won't use any state money, Shao
said. "It will be totally supported by tuition dollars."

Darby Named College of Charleston Business School Board
Chairman

July 13, 2010

From kpnewsroom:Charles P. “Buddy” Darby, III, Named Chairof the Schoolof Business Board
of Governors

July 13, 2010– The
College of Charleston School of Business announces the appointment of Charles
Pinckney “Buddy” Darby, III, CEO, Kiawah Development Partners, as Chair of its
Board of Governors. The invitation to Chair the Board came from Alan T.
Shao, Dean of the Schoolof Business.

Anita Zucker, chairperson and
CEO of the Intertech Group, stepped down after four years of leading the board,
and will remain a member of the board’s executive committee. “We are
extremely grateful to Anita for her service to the Schoolof Business. She
is a friend and remains a champion of education on so many levels,” says Dean
Shao.

Darby has the primary
responsibility for Kiawah Island’s development activities and oversees all
operations involved in developing the Island as one of the world’s top-rated
golf and vacation destinations.

“The School of Business’
long-term strategy is to expand our academic programs and establish innovative,
global partnerships. The timing is ideal for Buddy Darby to assume the
Chair of our Board,” says Dean Shao. “His proven strategic planning and
leadership experience is evident in his successful business achievements.
He is a well-established and respected community business leader and I look
forward to working with him to build our reputation as a widely recognized
business school.”

CHARLESTON, SC – Michelin has
selected the College of Charleston School of Business to deliver a global
logistics and transportation professional development program for Michelin
employees and the company’s affiliates. The “Michelin North America Logistics
Professional Development Online Program” brings together business school
faculty and Michelin employees in a virtual training environment. The program will be developed
and evaluated over two years with plans to continually improve the quality and
content of the online delivery. The long-term goal is to develop a
comprehensive logistics professional development online program for business,
education or government entities operating or seeking to operate in South
Carolina or use the Port of Charleston for importing and exporting goods. “The College of Charleston
School of Business has built a solid reputation for providing a relevant, rich
learning environment for both students and professionals alike,” said Dick
Wilkerson, chairman and president of Michelin North America. “We are confident
this combination of expertise and education will benefit Michelin employees and
College of Charleston’s students.”The four general training
modules or knowledge domains covered in the training are:

Import/export
documentation

Port of Charleston
and U.S. customs

Regulations and
pricing

Operations

Additional topics will be added
to the curriculum as the program expands over the next two years.“We are grateful for Michelin’s
interest in College of Charleston’s strong global logistics program and look
forward to a productive and meaningful training relationship with the company,
its affiliates, our faculty and students,” says Alan T. Shao, Dean of the
School of Business. “Our professional development agreement is an ideal
collaboration to help Michelin and other companies train their workforce,
improve logistics capabilities and strengthen South Carolina’s position in
global logistics.” …

The inaugural class of the College of Charleston's new
fast-track master of business administration degree is about to finish the
program, but not before a trip to China to learn about the business climate and
culture there.

Alan Shao, dean of the college's business school, said the
13-month accelerated MBA program, which was launched last summer, has been a
success so far. The program focuses on business in the Charleston area, but
also strives to bring students global knowledge, he said. "I didn't think our
business school could be a real business school without being global," he
said.

Twenty-three students will graduate in August, Shao said,
after they take a three-week group trip to China in June. The students will
visit many different businesses, especially those that focus on manufacturing,
and some universities, he said. …

Rhonda Mack, an associate dean in the business school, said
students must be prepared to put nearly all of their energy into the program.
They can do very little outside work.

That's different than a lot of MBA programs, which offer
night classes to working professionals, Shao said. The Charleston area had
evening programs, but didn't have a daytime, accelerated program until the
college launched its program last year, he said.

Students in the current class had a choice of focusing on
finance or marketing, he said. But the next class, which will begin in August
with about 30 students, also can choose to focus on revenue management in the
hospitality and tourism industry. …

Shao said the program teaches students not only the
essential academic courses, but also prepares them to function in the business
world. Local business leaders address students every Friday, he said. And all
students get coaching from the college's men's golf coach, Mark McEntire.

A great deal of business is conducted on golf courses, Shao
said, so it's important for students to have a basic understanding of the game.
"You don't have to be good at golf," he said. "You just have to
know how to use golf to your advantage."

India’s
Ambassador visits the College

The Indian Ambassador to the
United States, Ambassador Nirupama Rao, made her rounds to select colleges and
universities as part of her inaugural trip to the U.S. since taking office as
Ambassador in September 2011. On February 27, Ambassador Rao visited the
College of Charleston where she met with P. George Benson, president of the
College of Charleston, Alan T. Shao, dean of the School of Business, and other
campus leaders.Ambassador Rao’s visit to the
College was hosted by the School of Business and the School of Languages,
Cultures and World Affairs. Her campus itinerary began with a private
meeting with President Benson and Dean Shao to discuss specialized academic
areas including hospitality and tourism management, international business and
overseas partnerships.With global awareness and
learning as one of Dean Shao’s top priorities, the meeting with Ambassador Rao
opened another possible door to international partnerships and collaborations
with universities in India.The Ambassador had requested an
informal event with both faculty and students, allowing her to experience the
day-to-day atmosphere of the College.

Schools team to offer combined MBA, law degrees

Release Date: 10/17/2012Charleston
Law News:OCTOBER 17, 2012 -- Students who
want to receive two major advanced degrees at one time can take advantage of a
new dual-degree program that will be offered for the first time next year by
the Charleston School of Law and the College of Charleston School of Business.The new program will allow
participating students to receive a law degree as well as a master’s degree in
business administration (MBA) in three and a half years -- half a year less
than if students pursued the degrees separately.“Not only is this a way for
students to save money and time, but this dual-degree program will help
students interested in law and business develop professional synergies that
might not be apparent if they were training separately,” said Charleston School
of Law Dean Andy Abrams.Alan T. Shao, dean of the
College of Charleston School of Business said the combined degree was a smart
way for students to get ready for careers that combine law and business.“We are eager to accept high
performing law students into our MBA program and help them differentiate their
credentials before they enter the job market,” says Alan T. Shao, Dean of the
School of Business. “This is an exciting partnership with the Charleston
School of Law and we look forward to working with the administration and their
talented candidates.”

First
statewide Supply Chain Summit to be hosted by College of Charleston

Union Daily Times, The (SC) - Friday, January 11, 2013

CHARLESTON - The College of Charleston will host the first
South Carolina Supply Chain Summit on March 22, 2013 in the School of Business
Beatty Center …

The outcome of the Summit will increase our state's economic
future and better position South Carolina as a world class leader in supply
chain capabilities. Several public universities and colleges in S.C. offer
programs in some aspect of supply chain operations from business management and
marketing to industrial process engineering.…

"The College of Charleston recognizes that supply chain
infrastructure and resource capabilities are economic drivers that
differentiate South Carolina and serve as catalysts for more companies to
relocate or expand in our thriving state," says Alan Shao, dean of the
School of Business. "While we have much to be proud of in our state's
supply chain capabilities and services, we have the opportunity to improve our
assets through academic-industry partnerships that enable collaboration,
quality education, research, and shared practices."

College of Charleston Students Can Major in Marketing
Starting in Fall 2013

Charleston, SC Feb. 14, 2013 – The College of Charleston announces a new
undergraduate major in the School of Business. Beginning in fall 2013, students
will be able to major in marketing. The full major is an expansion of the
current concentration in marketing and is designed to give graduates a stronger
degree designation.

“The
marketing major is a positive addition to our portfolio of business offerings
that meet the demands of our students and the business community,” says Alan T.
Shao, dean of the School of Business. “Demand for the new major is high,
especially with 50 or 60 students already in the concentration. We anticipate
even more students will enroll in the major.”Graduates
with a marketing major will be able to evaluate a firm’s operating environment,
identify and help to sustain competitive advantages through marketing
strategies, and ultimately generate superior value for customers and other
stakeholders. Students will be able to design and optimize the marketing mix
for a company or organization. “As a
College of Charleston business administration student, I took every marketing
course offered and that foundation has served me well,” said Steve Warner, vice
president of global marketing/regional competitiveness for the Charleston
Regional Development Alliance. “As our region continues to grow and the
creative industries continue to thrive, businesses need a workforce that is
relevant and knowledgeable about the strategies of the workplace. This new
marketing major is relevant and valuable to a wide variety of industry sectors,
and reinforces that Charleston is a globally competitive location for business
and talent.”Students
who choose to major in marketing will be required to take courses in marketing
concepts, marketing research, consumer behavior, international marketing and
marketing management. In addition, the elective courses include advertising,
advertising campaigns, the business of television, professional selling,
purchasing and supply chain management, sports marketing and social media
marketing. The
faculty bring a range of marketing knowledge and experience to the classroom,
including teaching, research and industry expertise. “Many
of our professors run their own businesses or product lines, have implemented
major marketing campaigns and earned international recognition for their work,”
Shao says. “Students always appreciate their perspectives in the classroom.”

Education

1989: Ph.D. in Marketing, with a
minor in Statistics, University of Alabama–Tuscaloosa
1983: M.B.A. with a concentration in Management, Old Dominion University
1981: B.S. in General Business, Old Dominion University

Career Highlights

2009–Present: Dean, School of
Business, College of Charleston
2009–2011: Jack Tate Distinguished Professor, College of Charleston
2005–2009: Associate Dean of Professional and Global Programs, UNC Charlotte
1990–2009: North Carolina Ports Professor of Marketing, UNC Charlotte
1995–2005: Director, International Business Program, Belk College of Business
Administration, UNC Charlotte
1988–1989: Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Michael J. Coles
College of Business, Kennesaw State University
1987–1988: Visiting Professor, Department of Marketing, College of Business,
University of South Florida

Received
31 March 2006; Revised 15 July 2007; Accepted
19 February 2008; Published online 6 November 2008.

Abstract

Despite the prominence
of the competitive strategy perspective, it remains unclear whether foreign
firms entering China can still adopt a differentiation or low-cost position to
achieve superior performance, given the unique market and institutional
environments in China. Alternatively, should foreign firms follow conventional
wisdom and actively build managerial ties with government officials and
business community to enhance their performance? This study develops and tests
an interactive perspective that highlights the moderating effects of managerial
ties on competitive position–performance relationships. The results indicate
that though both differentiation and low-cost positions foster foreign firm
profitability, the benefit of a differentiation position is conditional on
political and business ties in different directions: political ties impede and
business ties strengthen the positive effect of a differentiation position on
foreign firms' profitability. Moreover, foreign firms benefit from their use of
business ties, but their profitability suffers when they rely increasingly on
the heavy use of political ties.

The extant literature suggests that performance may be a
function of the degree to which market information is systematically
collected, disseminated and responded to (i.e. market orientation). However,
the majority of empirical research on the market orientation to performance
relationship has focused on manufacturers and has not distinguished between
incumbents and new entrants. Our study of incumbent firms involves the market
orientation to performance relationship in the context of services in the
growing and competitive Internet industry. We found that market orientation did
not directly affect performance, nor did the interaction of market
orientation and perceptions of new competitors. However, perceptions of
traditional competitors directly affected performance and interacted with
market orientation to affect performance.

Global Television Advertising
Restrictions: The Case of Socially Sensitive Products

Author ; Shao, A. T.
Hill, J. S.

Journal title; INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING

Bibliographic details
1994, VOL 13; NUMBER 4, pages 347 Publisher

BLACKWELL PUBLISHERS

Country of
publication Great Britain ISBN

ISSN 0265-0487

Marketing Implications of China's `Little Emperors'

Author: Shao, A. T. Herbig, P.

Journal title: REVIEW OF BUSINESS- SAINT JOHNS UNIVERSITY

Bibliographic details 1994, VOL 16; NUMBER 1, pages 16
Publisher

ST JOHNS UNIV NEW YORK

Country of publication USA ISBN

ISSN 0034-6454 Language

Pricing To buy the full text of this article you pay:
£6.25 copyright fee + service
charge (from £8.95) + VAT, if applicable

The purpose of this study is to examine the capital
budgeting strategies that are used by foreign subsidiaries of U.S.-based
multinational enterprises. While the results indicated a preference for
sophisticated capital budgeting techniques as the primary method of analysis,
the actual use of sophisticated capital budgeting techniques by foreign
managers may not be as widespread as expected by financial theorists.
Although it was found that certain environmental and company-specific factors
influenced the level of sophistication of capital budgeting practices used by
U.S. foreign subsidiaries, the associations were small and had only minor
explanatory significance. The results showed that foreign subsidiaries
exposed to high levels of political and financial risk tended to use
sophisticated capital budgeting strategies. Subsidiaries characterized by
high levels of financial leverage and high cost of capital requirements also
employed advanced capital budgeting strategies. Multinational enterprises
(MNEs) have many options available to them in terms of how they manage their
foreign subsidiaries. Traditionally, most major policy decisions were made at
the parent firm's headquarter office while foreign subsidiaries had few
opportunities to influence major corporate decisions. Today, more companies
are using a flexible approach which involves setting strategic goals at the
home office and allowing local managers to implement their own specific
policies. An important question in this study involved determining how
effective local foreign managers were in implementing their capital budgeting
processes. As U.S.-based MNEs continue to expand their operations abroad,
there is an increased need to examine which financial decision models are
actually used by subsidiary managers to deal with the increased complexity of
investing in foreign countries. Unlike traditional capital budgeting
analysis, international analysis is a considerably more complex process.
These complexities occur for a number of reasons including complicated cash
flows estimates, changes in foreign exchange rates, different accounting systems,
potential for blocked funds, and political risk considerations. These factors
are rarely experienced by traditionally domestic U.S. firms. To maintain a
competitive edge, MNEs must continue to use the most efficient approaches
available to them. This study provides a detailed analysis of the capital
budgeting practices that are actually being used by foreign subsidiaries of
U.S.-based MNEs. The paper is organized in the following manner. Section I
provides a brief overview of the theoretical and practical issues of
international capital budgeting analysis. Section II focuses on the areas of
data collection, questionnaire design, and environment-specific and
company-specific factors. Section III discusses usage of capital budgeting
techniques, adjustment and assessment of project risk, and factors
influencing capital budgeting policies. The final section presents some
findings from this study.

Abstract

Marketers are taking notice of
NASCAR's cultural impact and the impressive financial returns to be garnered
from investing in the sport. This work examines NASCAR fans and their
sport-related attitudes and behaviours. Data were obtained from a sample of 666
NASCAR enthusiasts through a mail survey. Results suggest that there are two
follower types, those who are deeply bonded to the sport, and those who are
pledged to the sport but demonstrate comparatively less commitment to racing,
NASCAR-related media, and sponsors' products. Managerial implications are
discussed in terms of a relationship commitment metaphor.

DOI: 10.1080/10641734.2004.10505165

Abstract

This study
investigates the perceived effectiveness of comparative vs. non-comparative
advertising in low- and high-context communication cultures. Perceived
effectiveness of the ad was measured using two constructs: attitude toward the
ad and persuasion effect. It is found that when evaluating direct comparative
ads, consumers in low-context communication cultures indicated higher persuasion
effect than those in high-context communication cultures. Furthermore, in
low-context communication cultures the persuasion effect for direct comparative
ads is greater than indirect comparative ads. However, counter to common
belief, results also show that cultural context plays no role in
differentiating consumers' attitudes toward comparative ads. Implications and
directions for future research are discussed.

Restrictions on Advertising Items That May Not Be Considered
"Decent":

A European
Viewpoint

Abstract

In the past, when
products and issues that may not have been considered "decent" were
advertised, selective avenues were used since barriers existed such as
television networks forbidding the promotion of condoms and some pharmaceutical
goods. But because of the spread of AIDS and the softening of network and
magazine executives, some of these products are being shown or at least
mentioned in the mass media. This 15 agency-160 European affiliate survey of
advertising restrictions shows different degrees of limitations throughout
Europe. While European agencies performing global advertising campaigns
encountered the most restrictions, cigarettes and alcohol were the most
restricted products throughout many regions of the world. This was not
surprising considering the social pressures placed on the industries by
consumer and governmental organizations.

Abstract

Emerging markets,
such as those in East Asia, present many opportunities for international trade.
Understanding the strategic marketing decisions of small and medium-sized
exporters engaged in international trade with rapidly developing countries is
critical for managers that trade or plan to trade in emerging economies.
Utilizing a proposed framework, the results of a study examining and comparing
strategic marketing decisions and factors that influence those decisions for
exporters in a developed market (United States) with exporters in an emerging
market (Korea) are presented. The findings show that exporters from Korea
experienced more difficulties with strategic marketing decisions, such as
developing a reputation and pricing, while exporters from the U. S. had more
trouble adapting marketing strategies to market conditions. The Korean
exporters also expected to achieve more from their exporting than the U. S.
exporters. The results of the study have important implications for managers
engaged in international trade with emerging economies.

This empirical study examined U.S. advertising agencies'
practices in the Asia Pacific Region to decide whether they were following
Theodore Levitt's advice to promote products and services the same way
everywhere. Information regarding environmental factors and advertising
strategy were gathered from 200 Asia Pacific Region affiliates of U.S.
advertising agencies in 11 countries. It was found that in general, agencies
were neither standardising nor customising their sales platforms and creative
contexts. Instead they tended to utilise the adaptative approach--a strategy
that is becoming viewed as the optimal approach by multinational ad agencies.

The Japanese “sogo shosha” – Japanese General Trading
Companies – have played a major role in the phenomenal growth of the Japanese
economy. Throughout the century, sogo shosha have secured raw material import
inputs and have marketed and manufactured high value-added exports of the
Japanese economic machine. However, the twenty-first century is nearly here –
along with its global interdependent economy. How will the sogo shosha
respond and adapt to these new economic realities? Does the sogo shosha have
a future? The answer is “Yes”, but some changes are necessary if the sogo
shosha are to survive in the next century.

Marketing Intelligence & Planning

What does
marketing really mean to the Japanese?

Document Information:

Title:

What does marketing really mean to the Japanese?

Author(s):

Alain Genestre, (Assistant
Professor, Marketing in the Department of Management and Marketing, Graduate
School of International Trade and Business Administration, Texas A&M
International University.), Paul Herbig, (Professor, Marketing
in the Department of Management and Marketing, Graduate School of
International Trade and Business Administration, Texas A&M International
University.), Alan T. Shao, (Assistant
Professor of Marketing in the Department of Marketing, Belk College of
Business Administration, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North
Carolina, USA.)

As the Japanese have catapulted themselves to become a supereconomic
power, many reasons have been given regarding their rapid progression – one
of which is the claim that they are the world's premier marketers. Certainly
US marketers would argue this point. However, the unparalleled rise of
Japanese auto manufacturers provides support for this thesis. What is the
actual role of marketing in a Japanese corporation? How well are the Japanese
versed in the development and implementation of marketing strategy? Is there
really a difference between marketing practices used in the West and those
implemented in Japan? Addresses these questions.

Journal of
Global Marketing

Joint Venture of Wholly-Own: Which Produces the Best Results
in the Advertising Industry?

DOI: 10.1300/J042v05n01_08

Abstract

American advertising
agencies have been rapidly expanding their operations abroad in recent decades.
During this time, they have taken adtvantage of foreign experitise by acquiring
local agencies or establishing joint venture arrangements. In other cases they
have gone abraod by boldly setting up their own operations. This 15 agency -
344 subsidiary survey of agencies' abilities and performances shows that in
general, wholly-owned subsidiaries have outperformed joint venture arrangements
in terms of market rankings and total billings. While wholly-owned subsidiaries
performed more multicountry campaigns, in terms of their operations, no
differences were found concerning their service offerings of number of global
campaigns performed.

American Keiretsu: Fad or Future

Abstract

One of the major
reasons for Japan’s economic success has been attributed to its Keiretsu
system, the super-conglomerate of companies with interlocking directories and
cross-equity ownerships that provides a ready market for member firms and
financial stability. Many believe America should imitate Japan’s policies to
become more competitive. What is a keiretsu? Can or should American companies
imitate the keiretsu structure? What would an American Keiretsu equivalent look
like and how would it function? This paper addresses these issues.

Building Brand Equity via Product Quality

Abstract

A practical approach
is proposed to building brand equity via product quality. It identifies the
relevant marketing activities and determines the extent to which these
activities contribute to brand equity. Specifically, the proposed brand equity
model relates marketing activities to brand equity. This indicates a practical way
to assess the importance and adequacy of a company's daily operation in
contributing to its brand equity. The importance-efficiency mix further
provides management with feasible suggestions on adjusting their marketing
activities. Then, based on an importance-efficiency matrix, company resources
can be adjusted to enhance brand equity. An empirical study with an insurance
company was conducted to illustrate the proposed approach. Using this approach,
the insurance company has successfully enhanced their brand equity. This
clearly attests to the managerial value of the proposed approach. Research
implications and future research avenues were discussed.

Journal of
Multinational Finance Management

Capital Budgeting Practices Employed by European Affiliates
of U.S. Transnational Companies

Abstract

This paper
empirically examines the capital budgeting practices used by European
affiliates of US.-based transnational companies (TNCs). Unlike previous surveys
that have contributed to the understanding of the capital budgeting process of
transnationals, this study analyzes the capital budgeting practices that have
been adopted by foreign affiliates. Although the results showed that foreign
managers preferred to use sophisticated techniques as their primary method of
analysis, the actual usage of these advanced capital budgeting techniques was
not as popular as parent company managers perceived. It was also found that
while European managers made use of sophisticated risk-assessment techniques,
they did not make extensive use of sophisticated risk-adjustment techniques.

International Marketing Review

ISSN: 0265-1335

Marketing inside
the dragon, despite China's bureaucracy

Document Information:

Title:

Marketing inside the dragon, despite China's bureaucracy

Author(s):

Alan
T. Shao, (Belk College of Business Administration, University of
North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA), Paul
Herbig, (College of Business Administration and Graduate School of
International Trade, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, Texas,
USA)

As more businesses invest in China, there will, of course,
be increased marketing opportunities there. But while China's current
government continues to encourage foreign investment, the future holds some
political uncertainties. This vast country has the opportunity to become a
supereconomic power, but its government must lead the way, and not scare off
potential investors.

Marketing Intelligence & Planning

Japanese
international marketing strategy

Document Information:

Title:

Japanese international marketing strategy

Author(s):

Alain
Genestre, (Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and
Marketing, Graduate School of International Trade and Business
Administration, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, Texas.), Paul
Herbig, (Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and
Marketing, Graduate School of International Trade and Business
Administration, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, Texas.), Alan
T. Shao, (Assistant Professor in the Department of Marketing, Belk
College of Business Administration, University of North Carolina at
Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.)

In the last 30 years, Japan has come from a second-rate
status to the world's economic giant, leading the world in electronics,
automobiles, steel, shipbuilding and virtually anything else to which she has
set her mind. The Japanese aim was and still is to be world-class suppliers
of the major high volume items in the largest international markets. This
focus on middle- to lower-end volume markets made increased efficiency
essential. The mentality of jimae shugi – Japan should be virtually
self-sufficient in all important product areas – is as strong as ever. How
did the Japanese become such superb marketers? What is their international
marketing strategy? Examines the Japanese international marketing strategy
from its evolution; and analyses its strengths and weaknesses in allowing
Western corporations to be able to compete more effectively against it.

Journal of
International Consumer Marketing

Are Global Markets with Standardized Advertising Campaigns
Feasible?

Abstract

This empirical study
examined whether or not it is feasible to promote products the same way
everywhere. This concern has been heavily debated since Levitt's (1983) call
for globalized markets. Information regarding environmental factors and
advertising strategy were gathered from 344 affiliates of U.S. advertising
agencies in six major world regions. It was concluded that environments were
too different to capitalize on advertising standardization; this perspective
was echoed by practitioners when only a small percentage indicated that they
standardized their multi-country campaigns.

Nonconformity
Advertising to Teens

EXECUTING TRANSNATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS: DO U.S. AGENCIES
HAVE THE OVERSEAS TALENT?

SHAO A.T., HILL J.S.

АННОТАЦИЯ:

Seeks to answer various
questions by examining executive perceptions of the global market for
advertising skills. Data were obtained from 344 United States agency
affiliates in 51 different countries. Literature review; Methodology; Results;
Discussion.

Public Relations in China: A Status Report

Abstract

Sice China opened
its doors to foreign business in 1978, its economy has boomed with an annual
growth rate of 13 percent in recent years. As market competition has become
increasingly intense, the demand for public relations has rapidly escalated as
a growing number of local and foreign businesses battle for a piece of the
Chinese market. Because public relations is still in its infancy stage in
China, there are vast opportunities there for local and for- eign
image-building practitioners. The Chinese public relations industry is thriving
and gaining in irnportanceimd those abroad are continuing to take notice.

Japanese General Trading Companies or sogo shoshas have
been instrumental in the phenomenal Japanese economic miracle of the last 40
years. In 1982, the USA passed the Export Trading Company Act to home grow
its own sogo shoshas; to date the Act has been ineffective - yet the need
remains. Examines what trading companies are and what functions they perform.
Observes the steps that need to be taken to make them profitable and
successful. Postulates that trading companies are an integral part of this
country’s future.

US Parent
Agency Control: Advertising Agencies in Australia

Abstract: This
empirical study examines US advertising agencies' practices in Australia to
find out the extent to which parent offices communicated with their
subsidiaries and were involved in running their operations. The findings, based
on the responses from 30 Australian subsidiaries were that, although the US
agencies were positioned to control their subsidiaries' operations through
majority-ownership, and had some periodic contact with them, they did not
actually influence them to any considerable extent.

One important issue international firms must face involves
the evaluation and control of credit risk. Many studies dealing with
international credit management have focused on the practices used by
multinational enterprises. In this study we take a different approach to this
topic by analyzing the credit management decisions made by 188 U.S. foreign
subsidiaries. We examine many aspects of the foreign subsidiary manager's
credit policies including credit standards, credit terms, collection efforts
and customer creditworthiness. The results of this study indicate that credit
management practices of foreign subsidiaries are similar to those used by
parent companies. In addition, the findings show that foreign managers
generally use theoretically-preferred methods when making credit decisions.

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal
incorporating Journal of Global Competitiveness

ISSN: 1059-5422

MARKETING TO A
KEIRETSU

Document Information:

Title:

MARKETING TO A KEIRETSU

Author(s):

Alain
Genestre, (Member of the Department of Mangement and Marketing at
Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas.), Paul
Herbig, (Professor in the Graduate School of Internaitonal Trade
and Business Administration at Texas A&M International University in
Laredo, Texas.), Alan
T. Shao, (Member of the Department of Marketing in the Belk
College of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte, North Carolina.)

As the Japanese economy has become increasingly
international, the issue of keiretsu relations has become a focus of
attention. Keiretsu is an indigenous feature of Japan's production and
distribution systems that some say leads to unfair competitive practices,
triggering intense discussions from the United States government. American
businesses realize that a major reason for their failures in the Japanese
market lies in the nature of Japanese business practices, as exemplified by
exclusive keiretsu relations. However, like it or not, keiretsu related firms
dominate Japanese economic life. If U.S. firms are to penetrate the market in
the “land of the rising sun,” they must learn to successfully market to
keiretsu-member Japanese firms. This paper shows how the present keiretsu
system can be traced back to the culture of ancient Japan and is itself a
revival of the modern zaibatsu system of business organizations which, for
all practical purposes, it replaced after World War II and, paradoxically,
while the occupation and restructuring of the country incumbed to its
victorious foe, the United States.

Journal of
Euromarketing

U.S. Agency Control Over European Affiliates: An Exploratory
Study in the Advertising Industry

Abstract

The relationship
between U.S. parent advertising agencies and their European affiliates were
examined, using information gathered from 160 respondents in 16 countries. It
was found that parent agencies tended to position themselves to control their
overseas affiliates' operations (through either total or majority-ownership)
but did not actually influence (and thus control) their marketing activities.
It was further revealed that several environmental factors, especially claims
advertisers could make, played important roles in affecting the extent parent
agencies influenced their affiliates.

The dyadic relationship between U.S. parent advertising agencies
and their foreign affiliates were examined, using information gathered from
344 respondents in 52 countries. Parent agencies tended to position
themselves to control their overseas affiliates by either totally or majority
owning their operations but did not significantly influence, and thus
control, their marketing activities. Several environmental factors,
particularly claims advertisers can make and hiring restrictions, likely
played important roles that affected the extent parent agencies influenced
their affiliates.

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So far as we know, we only get one lifetime. So, when I "retired" in 2004, after 31-years in public education I wanted to do something different. I wanted to teach, write and become a student again. I have since spent a decade in higher ed.

I have listened to so many commentaries over the years about what should be done to improve Kentucky's schools - written largely by folks who have never tried to manage a classroom, run a school, or close an achievement gap. I came to believe that I might have something to offer.

I moved, in 1985, from suburban northern Kentucky to what was then the state’s flagship district - Fayette County. I have had a unique set of experiences to accompany my journey through KERA’s implementation. I have seen children grow to graduate and lead successful lives. I have seen them go to jail and I have seen them die. I have been amazed by brilliant teachers, dismayed by impassive bureaucrats, disappointed by politicians and uplifted by some of Kentucky’s finest school children. When I am not complaining about it, I will attest that public school administration is critically important work.

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On the campaign trail...with my wife Rita

An action shot: The Principal...as a much younger man.

Faculty Senate Chair

Serving as Mace Bearer during the Inauguration of Michael T. Benson as EKU's 12th president.

Teaching

EDF 203 in EKU's one-room schoolhouse.

Professin'

Lecturing on the history of Berea College to Berea faculty and staff, 2014.

Faculty Regent

One in a long series of meetings. 2016

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